Hosiery machine of the straight or flat web type



Oct. 11, 1927.

L. MARNEUX NEE DAVID HOSIERY MACHINE OF THE STRAIGHT 0R FLAT WEB TYPE Filed July 10. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1!,

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L. MARNEUX NEE DAVID HOSIERY MACHINE OF THE STRAIGHT 0R FLAT WEB TYPE Filed July 10. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 wmmwwmg m/ vE/vraQ lanh'neillazvtear flTroeA/ YS Oct. 11, 1927-.

L. MARNEUX NEE DAVID HOSIERY IIACHINE OF THE STRAIGHT 0R FLAT WEB TYPE FiledJuly 10, 1922 5 Shuts-Sheet 3 Oct. 11, 1927.

L. MARNEUX NEE DAVID HOSIERY momma OF THE STRAIGHT 0R FLAT was TYPE Fil y 10, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 -IEE coo Q IA/VENTOR Leonfz'nejldzvzear Oct. 11, 1927.

L.- MARNEUX NEE DAVID HOSIERY MACHINE OF THE STRAI GHT OR FLAT WEB TYPE Filed July 10, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 QE N INVENTOR LemzzneMar/zezzx' flTTORNEYS Patented Oct. 11, 1927.

LEONTINE MARNEUX, NEE DAVID, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

HOSIERY MACHINE OF THE STRAIGHT 0R FLAT VIEB TYPE.

Application filed July 10, 1922, Serial No.

The said apparatus comprises at least two cooperating toothed wheels termed selectors, which are revoluble in cooperation with the stroke of the carriage and are adapted to be displaced at the end of the stroke so as to be, by means of a handle, alternately placed at the end of the stroke of the carriage, in position to act upon the butts of the needles by cam shaped portions of different outline, whereby only a certain number of needles shall be lowered in a predetermined order. Suit-able guide pieces cooperate with said selectors and serve to raise the needles which have been lowered. It is sufficient to change the selectors in order to obtain different designs.

The accon'ipanying drawings show by way of example two embodiments of this invention- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a pre ferred form of the invention disclosing one pair of cooperating selectors only and the inner side of the front portion of the carriage. I

Figures 2 and 2 are transversa-l sections at different scales on the line IIII of the Figure l.

Figure 3 represents a dividing or selector element.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a machine showing particularly the selector mechanism.

Figures P, 4*, 5, 6, 6 7 show diagrammatically the various positions of the selectors relative to the butts of the needles in four successive strokes of the carriage.

Figure 4 shows aselector in its initial position when the carriage is to travel towards the right side.

Figure 4 shows the same selector when the carriage is traveling towards the right side and operates needles.

Figure 5 shows the return stroke of the carriage with the same selector operating the same needles to lowered position.

Figure (F shows a modified form of selector in its initial position when the carriage is'to travel towards the right side.

I Figure 6 shows same selector in operative relation with the butts of the needles.

Figure 7 shows the return stroke of the carriage.

Figure 8 is a view in elevation of a second form of construction of the apparatus com- 573,910, and in France September 23, 1921.

prising more than one selectors. I

Figure 9 is a side view of the same.

Figure 10 is across section on the line XX of Figure 8, a single selecting element being represented.

Figures 11 and 12 are sections of the front needle bed of the machine showing the needles contained therein and the action of the selecting element on the needles. 2

Figures 13 to 16 show diagrammatically the action of two cooperating selecting elements in four successive strokes of the car riage.

Figures 17 and 17 a respectively are an elevational view of a dividing wheel'and an axial section of the same with a part of a. corresponding stop piece.

Figures 18 and 18 19 and 19 represent a selector respectively in front elevation, axial pair of cooperating section, rear elevation and plan.

Figure 20 is a diagrammatic representation of a, pattern obtainable with both forms of apparatus represented.

Figures 21 to 25 represent diagrammatically the operation of the needles viewed from the top.

Inasmuch as the machine is of the known type, no description of the same is necessary. 21 indicates the front row of needles, 22 the back row, 23 the carriage, 24 and 25 the yarn guides which are alternately coupled to the carriage by the fastening bolts 26 andv 27, which are reciprocated in the guide 90 by a finger 91 having a cam portion for engaging adisc 92. The fingers are reciprocated byv their respective slides 26 or 27 through a lever 57. The operation of said lever alternately places either finger in position and causes either of the bolts, as the case may be, to lock to the carriage a member 95 which supports the yarn guide.

The apparatus according to the invention in the form shown in Figures 1 to 7 comprises in the present embodiment two toothed wheels or selectors 28 and 29 loosely revoluble on axles 30 upon a main body 31. Each of said wheels comprises toothed portions having different radii, i. e. groups of teeth extending more or less from the center and designated as'long and short teeth, whereof the number and arrangement varies according to the pattern to be produced. In the present example, the selector 28 has groups of three long teeth alternating with groups of four short teeth. The cooperating selector 29 has groups of four long teeth alternating with groups of three short teeth.

The main body 31 is mounted on supports 32, 32 secured to the carriage 23 by screws 33 or like means whereby they are readily removable. The main body 31 is loosely revoluble on a horizontal axis, at one end upon a fixed journal 34 and at the other on a jour nal 35 secured to said main body and provided with an operating handle 36 whereby it may be turned through one half revolution each time. To provide for the suitable position of the body 31 and the selectors at each half turn, in a direction parallel to the plane of the row of needles 21, the fixed journal 34 has two opposite flat parts 37 cooperating with the fiat springs 38 secured to the main body 31.

To provide for the position of each selector when not engaged with the rack fo med by the butts 39 of the needles, the body 31 carries coupling elements, such as the pawls 40 carried by cam portions which are adapted to slide on the body 31 in the (lirections of the two arrows (Z and engaged by the free extremities of springs 11 fixed to the body 31 at c, the outer ends of each pawl 40 engaging one of four recesses in each of the selectors. Each pawl can be made inoperative by a rocker 43 pivoted at 41ft on the body 31 and having a finger. 45 which is in contact with the inclined face 6 of the cam portion 46 carrying said pawl. VVhen the finger 45 is in the position a (Figure 1) it allows the spring 41 to press the cam portion 46 towards the left, reference being had to the lower part of Figure 2, and causes the pawl 40 to bear against the inner face of the selector. V] hen the finger 45 moves to the position I) (Figure 1) it rides on the inclined face a of the cam portion 46 and causes this latter and the pawl it carries to be with drawn from the inner face of the selecto'ras indicated in the upper face of Figure 2. It is clear that under the action of the spring 41, the pawl 40 will engage with one of the recesses 4-2 immediately when, by the rotation of the selector, one of these recesses takes up a position opposite the pawl and when said pawl has been releasedby a finger 15. Ihe position of the selector is thus as sured, which is necessary immediately the selector has left the needles as failing this it might be accidentally displaced and, at the commencement of the following throw of the carriage, in which it will be utilized itmay no longer lower the same needles as fore. The said rocker is actuated by a stud l7 secured to the needle bed 21, so as to alternatively cooperate with two teeth l8, 49 of said rocker depending upon whether the carriage moves said rocker to the right or left. In the right hand movement, the tooth 48 strikes, the stud l7 and the rocker assumes the position Z) (Figure 1) so that the finger 4:5 sliding on the inclined face 6 of the cam portion 46 will separate the pawl 40 from the selector, whereby the latter is enabled to roll upon the butts of the needles. At the end of the return movement, the tooth 49 en ters into contact with the stud 41-7, the rocker assumes the position a (Figure 1) and the cam 46 which is released by the finger l5 permits the said pawl to again place the selector in the desired position for subsequent movements.

Each selector cooperates with the guide pieces 50 and 51 secured to the main body 31. Guide piece 50 serves to lower the needles so as to bring the butts to exactly the proper level wherein they will be actuated by teeth of the selector; guide piece 51 serves to raise the needles which have been lowered by the long teeth of the selector.

A sliding carriage 23 carries two pairs of cooperating cams 52 and 53 which are adapted to be moved axially and upwardly or downwardly on the inclined sections of said carriage through the slots 93 and pins 94. lVhen these cams are in their lower limited position they will cause the needles to cast off stitches in the usual manner of knitting but when they are in their upper position the needles will not be retracted suliiciently to cast off the stitches and therefore they will accumulate loops which are cast off by the needles when operated by the selector 28 or 29.

The cam 55' has one longitudinal edge round-ed as shown at 56 so that the butts of the needles will ride acrosssaid cam when the edge 56 is moved towards said butts. The cam 54 which cooperates with cam 55 is adapted to be moved out of the path of the needle butts so that said butts may ride across cams 55 asshown in Figure 5. It will be noted that during such a movement of the carriage the needles will remain inopera tive when the cams 5e and 55 are carried along by the carriage, while the selector 28 or 29 is moving alternate groups of needles on the front needle bed.

The operation of the said apparatus is as follows: Let it be supposed that the machine is to produce a knitted *eb which will have a plain part in white yarn, for instance, followed by av portion with longitudinal stripes alternately white and black which have the width of three and of four stitches Fig re 20). To produce the plain part, the known procedure is followed without the use of the said apparatus.

Figure 21 represents the last row made from left to right in plain without the apparatus, with a white thread in the thread guide 2 1.

Figure 22 represents the last row from right to left also without the apparatus.

llti

Before making this'row the cam 54 is placed out of operation.

Cam 55 which is symmetrical with 54 should remain free to automatically become inoperative during this same stroke, and to this effect it has an inclined part 56 on the inner side enabling it to slide upon the butts of the needles and thus to remain inoperative until it has moved beyond the lefthand end on the row of needles.

In this course a White thread will therefore be laid upon the rear needles and these latter will make stitches B by running off White stitches A'formed in the row (Figure 21). On the contrary the front needles will not work.

The carriage being to the left, the cams 52, 53 of the front part of the carriage are raised, then the apparatus is fixed in position and by means of the handle 36, so turned that selector 28 is in position to engage the needle butts.

Figure 23 represents the first traverse from left to right of the front and rear carriage with the apparatus in position.

During the movement the front and rear needles are raised as in ordlnary one and one rib under the action of the cam 55 (rear cam 55 not shown), the rear needles are fully lowered and form white stitches C, casting off the white stitches l3 above these latter; the front needles on the contrary are partially lowered by the cam 52, but are not sufficiently lowered to release the white stitches A, over the new white stitches C as shown by needles 4: to 7, and therefore merely accumulates stitches.

After having been subjected to the action of the cam 52, the butts of the needles of the front needle bed are guided towards the selector by the guide piece 51.

WVhen the selector 28 reaches the first needle of the front needle bed 21, the stud 47 causes the rocker 43 tomove aside the.

corresponding pawl 40, so that the said selector is enabled to roll upon the'set of butts. The first three teeth which roll on these butts are long teeth, and therefore they will lower the corresponding needles 1-2-3 sufficiently to form the stitches C and to cast off the stitches A; on the contrary, the four following short teeth roll on the butts of needles l5 67 without lowering the same. The selector thus successively actuates needles 8-910 and leaves inoperative the next four needles, actuates the three following-needles, etc. 1

When the carriage reaches the right-hand side of the ,machine, the yarn changing hand-lever 57 is operated so as to uncouple from the carriage the yarn guide 24 for the White yarn and couple the yarn-guide 25 for the black yar Y 1 During'the succeeding left-hand stroke,

Figure 24, a black thread D is laid: upon the needles corresponding to-the short teeth and is taken up, only by the rear needles, as the front needles are not actuated during this stroke. At the same time, the selector rolls in an opposite direction on the butts of the needles without producing any new effect on the knitting, since it again lowers the same needles as in the previous righthand stroke as indicated in Figure During this stroke, the operation of the machine has cast 05 a set of white stitches C and formed aseries of black stitches D at the rear side of the fabric.

When the carriage reaches the end of the left-hand stroke, the main body 31 is turned half about by means of the handle 36, in order to set the selector 29 in position to engage the needle butt-s.

During the succeeding right-hand stroke (Figure 25) a black thread E is laid, on the froint and rear needles by the yarn guide 25.

, This thread is taken by all the needles; but whereas the rear needles are suihciently lowered by the rear left lowering cam 52 which is in position to permit them to cast off the black stitches D over the new black stitches E, on the contrary the front needles are insufliciently lowered by the front left lowering cam 52 to the stitches C.

Directly the selector 29 reaches the first needle of the bed it is freed from the pawl 40 by the action of the member 4.7 on the rocker 43 and can roll upon the butts of the needles. The three first teeth of the selector 29 are short; they therefore roll on the butts of the needles 1, 2 and 3 without effect; the four-following teeth are long and they therefore compel the correspond ing needles 4567 to complete their fall- I ing movement and form black stitches E casting off the white stitches A and C; the next three needles 8 9-1O are not lowered and the fourfollowing needles form the black stitches and so on ad seq.

VVh-en the carriage has reached the end of the traverse to the rig t, the thread is changed so as to lay a white thread on the rear needles during the return traversetowards the left as in Figure 22. As in the preceding traversing movements from right to left the rear needles work alone during this traverse, casting-off the black stitches formed in the preceding traverse from left to right and forming new white stitches in the rear of the knitting.

The carriage having returned to the left, the body 31 is caused to pivot by half a turn so as to place the selector 28 in action. the carriage is then moved to the right; there is then obtained, as in. Figure 23, a row of white stitches on the needles lowered'by the long teeth of the selector; on the rent try of the selector are not completelylowered permit the casting off 7 and remain each with a white thread in the hook and a black thread which has passed behind the latch of the needle at the time of the rising movement of the needle under the influence of the cam 55.

These operations being repeated, there is obtained at the front of the web, Figure 20, during one of the right-hand strokes a series of groups of three white sti ches and during the succeeding right-hand stroke a series of groups of four black stitches, these groups being in alternate disposition on a traversal row. By continuing the alternation of the colour changes, longitudinal black and white stripes, having respectively the width of four and of three stitches will thus be obtained. By varying this alternation at intervals, one can obtain after the longitudinal white stripes, longitudinalblack stripes of equal width, and after the longitudinal black stripes, corresponding longitudinal white stripes, thus forming a checker-board pattern with unequal elements. Various colored yarn may also be used, and the width of the stripes can be varied by replacing the selectors 28, 2.9 by others having the long and the short teeth in different numbers or in dif ferent position. 7

The form of construction shown in Fig-- ures 8 to 20 differs from the preceding construction especially in thefact that in each selecting member the teeth effecting the rotation of the selecting member and the cam portions or selector prop-er are distinct from each other and also that the apparatus com prises more than one pair of cooperating selecting members.

The said apparatus comprises a prismatlc body 61 mounted loose'on an axle 62 which is secured to a support 63 adapted to be rigidly attached to the sliding carriage of the machine; said axle is parallel with the stroke of the carriage. The middle part of the main body (51 is cut-outso as to form a prism of smaller diameter, and on each face of the latter portion is formed a screwthreaded hole 6 1 into which screws a threaded projection (55 of a small bearing 66 in which is disposed the shaft 67 of a selecting member comprising a pinion 70' which with a selector 71 are respectively mounted on the ends of said shaft by the screws 68 and 69.

The pinion '70 is toothed in such manner as to engage the front needle-slots 21 of the machine when the cztzrriage is moved along themachine; and further, the selector 71 consist ofa circular disc whose periphery is cut in such manner as to comprise one or more downwardly ext-ending conical surfaces 7 2 in alternate disposition with one or more upwardly extending conical surfaces 73. The prismatic body 61 is held in. each of its operative positions by the T 74: radially guided in the bushes 75 secured shaped slidesto said element; said slides are strongly urged by the sprngs 76-77 against the faces of a prism 78 which is secured to the stationary axle 62, said prism having the same number of faces as the body 61.

By turning the apparatus by hand one can easily bring any face of the body 61 and hence one of the shafts 67 into a position parallel with the front group of needles 21, Figures 3 or 11 and 12. In this position, the respective pinion 70 will engage the needle slots, and the cam selector 7]. is enabled to act upon the butts of the needles by its inclines 72 and 73 so as to raise some of the needles and lower the others. Besides the bearing part 66, each face of the main body 61 is provided with the guide pieces 7980-81-82 placed to the right and left of the selecting member and adapted to act upon the butts of the needles and to bring them into the proper position for being acted upon by the inclines 72 and 73.

On the one hand, the passage 83 between the pieces 7 9 and 80 is exactly opposite the selector 71, and on the other hand the pas sage 84 between the pieces 81 and 82 is situated higher than the selector 71 on the side next to the operative face of the apparatus.

According to the desired patterns, use is made of selectors which have inclines 72 and 73 in suitable numberand annular width. is in the preferred form of the invention previously described and shown in Figures 1 to 7, the selecting members cooperate in pairs and it follows that if for instance one selecting member mounted on one of the faces of the pentagon, alternately raises three needles and lowers four, there will be a second and reverse selecting member mounted on another face of the pentagon, which reverse selecting member will alternately lower three needles and raise four. To hold each selecting member in a given position when not operative, a conical recess 85 is formed in the pinion 70, and a pawl 86 pivoted at 87 to the element 61 is urged by a spring 88 against the pinion so that its conical nose tends to enter the cavity 85.

The operation of the said apparatus is as follows: During the right-hand strokes of the carriage, Figures 13 and 15, under the action of the cam 55 all the front needles are raised and receive the thread. Under the action of the lowering cam 52 they are all partially lowered in which position they leave the cam 52. The inclines of the guide pieces 7 980 will cause any of the butts of Y the needles which they meet with to proceed through the passage 83 so that these butts shall be placed opposite the middle part of the thickness of the selector 71. As the pinion 7 0 rolls forward on the needles, the butts of these needles will be either lowered by the inclines 72, Figure 11, or raised, Figure 12. V

The needles that have been raised by selector 71 then pass above guide piece 82 finally issuing from the passage 84s.; the needles that have been lowered by selector 71 pass under guide piece 82, thereby being still further lowered and through a distance sufficient to form and to cast oif the corresponding stitches.

During the succeeding left hand stroke of the carriage, Figure 14, the needles that were raised in the former right hand stroke and that issued from passage 84, will again engage in this passage, pass above cam 71 and guide piece 80 and issue from passage 83.

The needles that were lowered pass under guide pieces 82 and 80. All the needles however encounter the inclined plane of the cam 55 which is thereby displaced and does not exert any action on the needles.

Therefore during return or left hand strokes of the carriage the needle-butts re. main separated in two distinct rows, the bottom row being composed of the butts of those needles that in the preceding right hand throw have formed and cast a stitch; whereas the top row is composed of the butts of those needles that in said preceding throw also formed but did not cast a stitch.

In Figure 15 indicating the second right hand stroke the selector is shown about to lower a needle K; this latter will afterwards encounter the inclined plane of the cam 82 and will pass under this cam.

In Figure 16 showing the second left hand stroke in the stroke according to Figure 14, the needles first pass again in the apparatus remaining in the position which they had at the end of the preceding right hand stroke; they afterwards encounter the inclined plane of the cam 55 displacing this cam inside the cam carrier, thus not being subjected to any action on its part; before this throw the thread carrier is changed by actuating the handle 57 controlling the thread carriers. The second left hand stroke, like the first (Figure 14) is thus an idle or empty throw.

Each time that the carriage returns to its left hand stopping position, by turning the body 61 by hand through a suitable angle in one direction or the other, any selecting member can be changed and the reverse selecting member of the one that acted upon the needles in the preceding right hand stroke thereby brought into action; or else said second or reverse member of a pair of cooperating selecting members having acted upon the needles, the first selecting member of another pair of cooperating members can be brought into action; the apparatus described therefore provides for a great number of patterns with facility; for instance vertical or oblique stripes, checker board diamond or lozenge patterns or patterns with triangular portions, etc.

Obviously, any suitable'nuniber of selecting members may be employed in the apparatus. It is preferable to leave one or more faces of the prismatic element unprovided with a selecting member so that the ordinary work with the needles can be done without beingobliged to remove the apparatus from the'carriage. I

Claims:

i. An apparatus adapted for mounting upon the carriage of a flat web hosiery machine for the purpose of producing in the knitted fabric vertical stripes and varied designs by means of various coloured yarn, comprising a selecting cam holder pivoted upon one end of the carriage of the machine with its axis of rotation parallel to the carriage stroke, selecting members revoluble upon said holder, said selecting members being mounted on two faces of said'holder in a way to allow each of said members to be successively brought into action at one end of the stroke and actuated with the stroke of the carriage for rotating the selecting n'ienibers, fixed guide cams coacting with said.

selecting members, said selecting members being provided with indentations or circular in lined surfaces cooperating with the butts of the machine needles whereby only a.

given number of the needles shall be lowered in a predetermined order.

2. An apparatus for mounting upon the carriage of a flat web hosiery machine for the purpose of producing in the knitted fabric vertical stripes and varied designs by means of various colored yarn, comprising a prismatic member pivoted upon the carriage on an axis parallel to the direction of stroke of the carriage, and selecting members revoluble upon the faces of said prismatic member, each of said selecting members having can'i-shaped portions cooperating with the butts of certain needles for lowering the same, and teeth adapted to engage all the needles.

8. An apparatus for mounting upon the carriage of a flat web hosiery machine for the purpose of producing in the knitted fabric vertical stripes and varied designs by means of various colored yarn, comprising a prismatic member pivoted upon the machine carriage, spring-pressed means for maintaining said member in various positions corresponding to the number of faces of the member, needle selecting members revoluble upon the faces of said. prismatic member, each of said selecting members having camshaped portions cooperating with the butts of certain needles for lowering the same, and teeth adapted to engage all the needles.

4, An apparatus for mounting upon the carriage of a flat web hosiery machine for the purpose of producing in the knitted fabric vertical stripes and varied deslgns by means of various colored yarn, comprismg a member pivoted upon the machine carriage, and needle-selecting members revoluble upon the faces of said prismatic body, each of said selecting members when in the operative position having its axis of rotation parallel to the direction of the machine needles and rovided with a cam cooperating with the utts or" the needles, and a toothed wheel adapted to roll upon the row of needles while engaging the latter, said cam being formed in such manner as to lower only a certain number of the needles in a predetermined order, which order may vary for the different selecting members.

5. The combination of a flat web hosiery machine having two rows of needles and a carriage slidable along said rows, with means mounted upon said carriage and comprising a pivoted body and needle selecting mem bers revoluble upon said body, each of said selecting members having indentations adapted to engage the needles and to lower only a given number of the same, the butts of said needles serving as mean for rotating the selecting member, in cooperation with the stroke of the carriage, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name. 7

' Mrs. LEONTINE MARNEUX, ne DAVID. 

